Health Ministry and the Indian Medical Association to form a joint working group to discuss, deliberate and find solutions to the major Indian healthcare concerns

Health Ministry and the Indian Medical Association to form a joint working group to discuss, deliberate and find solutions to the major Indian healthcare concerns 

Shri JP Nadda announces the formation of the working committee during his address during IMA’s annual conference the NATCON 2015

New Delhi December 29, 2015: Marking a historic moment for the Indian Medical Association, Shri JP Nadda - Hon’ble Minister of Health and Family Welfare, GOI announced that the health ministry with support of the Indian Medical Association will form a first of its kind working committee to evaulaute and address the major healthcare problems in our country. He asked the IMA leaders for their expertise and help to fight the major health battles being faced by the Indian population during his address at IMA’s annual Central Council meeting the NATCON 2015.

Speaking about this achievement, Dr. S.S Agarwal – National President and Padma Shri Awardee Dr. KK Aggarwal, Honorary Secretary General of IMA in a joint statement said, “Never in the history of the IMA has a joint committee of this nature been formed between the IMA and Government of India. We are extremely hopeful that together we will be able to find effective solutions to major healthcare issues being faced in our country. Some of these include the high prevalence of water and food borne diseases, increase in percentage of women smokers, epidemics nature of diseases such as dengue and swine flu as well as the incidence of lifestyle diseases in people as early as in their late twenties and thirties.”

In addition to this, Dr. Mahesh Sharma - Minister of State for Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation also announced that he is in the porcess of setting up a Medical Tourism and Wellness Board of which the IMA will be a prominent member. They will together work towards strengthening and defining the in respect to medical tourism in India 

Sh Hansraj Gangaram Ahir - Hon’ble Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilisers GOI announced that he will be bringing three device parks in our country for local development of medical devices thereby reducing their costs drastically.

“This will be a great boon for the Indian consumer at large for now medical devices will become more affordable and accessible even to the lower strata of the society. We believe that access to healthcare is a basic fundamental right of each and every Indian citizen under article 21 of the Indian constitution and no person must die of disease just because they cannot afford treatment. We are hopeful that all these partnerships will help IMA achieve its aim of making India a healthier country”, added Dr. KK Aggarwal.

The IMA Central Council meeting was attended by over 1000 and they together discussed over a two day period issues affecting the Indian medical community including the increased cases of violence against doctors, un-warranted media trials, redundant laws that need urgent amendments and the commercialization of the medical practice by its inclusion under the consumer protection act.

On the last day of the conference, Dr. S S Agarwal was sworn in as the new IMA National President for the period of Dec 2015 – Dec 2016 as Dr. A Marthanda Pillai stepped down after the completion of his term.